[MITgcm-support] Re: Running MPI jobs over Ethernet

[Ed Hill]

On Mon, 2004-06-28 at 19:04, Axel Schweiger wrote:
> For comparison purposes, I would like to try running a MPI (MIT
> climate model) test job over Ethernet rather than Myrinet. Is this
> possible. Can you advise me on how to do that?
> Thanks
> Axel


Hi Axel,

Yes, the MITgcm model can be run with MPI over Ethernet or any other
physical transport technology (eg. Myrinet, Infiniband, Quadrics, ...)
that is supported by an MPI implementation.  The MITgcm model is used
routinely with MPI over both Myrinet and Gigabit Ethernet networks.

The process is:

  1) Setup your Ethernet network

  2) Install one of the MPI implementations such as:

     - MPICH:  http://www-unix.mcs.anl.gov/mpi/mpich/
     - LAM/MPI:  http://www.lam-mpi.org/

  3) Build MITgcm using an options file (or "optfile"):

       http://mitgcm.org/sealion/online_documents/node93.html

     customized for your particular MPI library.

  4) Run it with scripts suited to your MPI and batch queuing 
     (if applicable) system.

If you have further questions about setup and use, please join the
MITgcm-support list at:

  http://mitgcm.org/contact_us.html
  http://mitgcm.org/mailman/listinfo/mitgcm-support

and send your questions there!

thanks,
Ed

ps - The main benefit of technologies such as Myrinet, 
  Infiniband, and Quadrics are low latency.  They are 
  generally more expensive than Ethernet but tend to 
  scale better over a larger number of nodes.  Determining 
  which hardware and software will be best for you is a 
  function of what you want to accomplish and your budget.

-- 
Edward H. Hill III, PhD
office:  MIT Dept. of EAPS;  Rm 54-1424;  77 Massachusetts Ave.
             Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
emails:  eh3 at mit.edu                ed at eh3.com
URLs:    http://web.mit.edu/eh3/    http://eh3.com/
phone:   617-253-0098
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